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The Great Controversy 1888
doctrine of the second advent. The Lord held the spirit of opposition
in check while his servants explained the reasons of their faith. Some-
times the instrument was feeble: but the Spirit of God gave power to
his truth. The presence of holy angels was felt in these assemblies, and
many were daily added to the believers. As the evidences of Christ’s
soon coming were repeated, vast crowds listened in breathless silence
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to the solemn words. Heaven and earth seemed to approach each other.
The power of God was felt upon old and young and middle-aged. Men
sought their homes with praises upon their lips, and the glad sound
rang out upon the still night air. None who attended those meetings
can ever forget those scenes of deepest interest.
The proclamation of a definite time for Christ’s coming called forth
great opposition from many of all classes, from the minister in the
pulpit down to the most reckless, Heaven-daring sinner. The words of
prophecy were fulfilled: “There shall come in the last days scoffers,
walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his
coming? for since the father fell asleep, all things continue as they
were from the beginning of the creation.” [
2 Peter 3:3, 4
]. Many who
professed to love the Saviour, declared that they had no opposition to
the doctrine of the second advent; they merely objected to the definite
time. But God’s all-seeing eye read their hearts. They did not wish to
hear of Christ’s coming to judge the world in righteousness. They had
been unfaithful servants, their works would not bear the inspection
of the heart-searching God, and they feared to meet their Lord. Like
the Jews at the time of Christ’s first advent, they were not prepared to
welcome Jesus. They not only refused to listen to the plain arguments
from the Bible, but ridiculed those who were looking for the Lord.
Satan and his angels exulted, and flung the taunt in the face of Christ
and holy angels, that his professed people had so little love for him
that they did not desire his appearing.
“No man knoweth the day nor the hour,” was the argument most
often brought forward by rejecters of the Advent faith. The scripture is,
“Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of Heaven,
but my Father only.” [
Matthew 24:36
]. A clear and harmonious expla-
nation of this text was given by those who were looking for the Lord,
and the wrong use made of it by their opponents was clearly shown.
The words were spoken by Christ in that memorable conversation
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with his disciples upon Olivet, after he had for the last time departed